Mammalogy at the Burke
Mammalogy is the study of mammals and their diversity and distribution on earth. Vertebrate animals (those with backbones) that have hair and produce milk for their newborns make up the class Mammalia. The 4,632 living species of mammals are spread throughout all the earth's environments and make up 29 diverse orders, such as carnivores, whales, bats, rodents, and primates, to name just a few.
The Burke Museum's mammal collection consists of over 54,000 specimens and includes 70 species of carnivores, 140 bat species, 262 rodent species, 38 primate species, and 37 marine mammal species. Only a few of our specimens are on view in the museum galleries.
The mammalogy program develops and maintains its valuable collection and trains students in research that is based on the collection. For example, the techniques of molecular biology are used to investigate how mammals have responded to environmental change over the past several million years. Beyond this, it's possible to evaluate how human influences such as deforestation and global climate change are further affecting biodiversity.
The Burke also participates in a multi-museum mammal database (MaNIS).
Featured in Mammalogy
Learn all about the state's 146 species of mammals—their habits and habitats, what they eat, where they live, and more!
